Following a profitable year for the local cinema industry, the high-potential comedy film ‘I am Not Salvador’ hits Iranian movie theaters Wednesday, (Feb. 24), the first film scheduled for ‘Nowruz,’ the Persian New Year (starts March 20) and will keep cinema halls packed with film fans three weeks ahead of the new year.
The other Nowruz movies, which are not named yet, will start screening on March 16, Mehr News Agency reported.
Nowruz screenings usually fetch high sales for films, as most of the people have a two-week-long holiday which gives them ample opportunity to spend some time at the cinemas.
The Persian New Year starts on the first day of spring, the rebirth of nature, and it is a time when people are usually happy, celebrating the year ahead with their family, friends and relatives; so movies shown at this time usually include comedies or those with social controversial issues that attract a vast audience.
Spokesman of the Guild Council for Public Screenings, Gholamreza Faraji on Monday said, “Film producers and distributors who want to show their films at the start of the New Year can submit their request to the council till February 27.”
Considered as a box office hit, ‘I am Not Salvador’ directed by Manouchehr Hadi is finally being shown six months after its screening permit was issued by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Written by Reza Maqsudi, the story centers on an Iranian man, Naser (played by well-known comedian Reza Attaran), who is invited to take a trip to Brazil with his family. However, there he is mistaken by a local girl, Angel, for her ex-fiancé called Salvador; this is the beginning of a series of funny incidents.
Iranian actors Yekta Naser, Jila Sadeghi, Mehdi Mehrabi and Sogol Mehrabi along with Brazilian actresses Carol Vidotti and Barry Fiocca are also in the cast.
Former Brazilian soccer star and Barcelona midfielder Rivaldo has also appeared in the film playing his own character. A large part of the movie, Produced by Amir Parvin-Hosseini and Mansour Sohrabpour, was shot in Brazil and only 20% in Tehran. Habib Esmaili, CEO of Filmsazan (filmmakers) Company, owns the right for the local distribution of the film.
Hike in Ticket Prices?
Although there are rumors that the price of movie tickets would increase in the next year, Faraji said the matter would be discussed after the New Year screenings are finalized, which will be announced by February 29. However, a couple of films seem to have a better chance compared to others.
Ebrahim Hatamikia’s ‘Bodyguard’ starring Parviz Parastui, Kiumars Purahmad’s ‘Where Are My Shoes?’ starring Reza Kianian, ‘Life+1Day’ by Saeed Roustaei starring Peyman Moaadi, ‘I’ by Soheil Beiraqi starring Leila Hatami and ‘Scandal 2’ by Masoud Dehnamaki starring Akbar Abdi were among the popular films at the 34th Fajr Film Festival (FFF) and are the possible choices to be among the Nowruz screenings.
Two comedies of ‘Dracula’ by Reza Attaran and ‘50 Kilos of Sour Cherry’ by Mani Haqiqi which did not take part in the FFF also have a high chance of finding a place in the list.
